The show was an instant hit, quickly becoming Nickelodeon’s highest-rated show.
When Burns eventually left the show, its young viewers were told he was heading off to college.
Yet what became of the actor who captivated preschool-aged television viewers in the late ’90s?
Here’s what really happened to Steve from “Blue’s Clues.”
Burns had no illusions about his place Hollywood’s hierarchy.
I’m a micro-celebrity," he added.
“About as small a celebrity as you’re free to be.”
Years later, Burns offered an explanation for his decision to quit.
According to Burns, he simply felt it “just seemed like time to go …
I was just getting older and I kind of occupied this weird older brother space on that show.
Like I was sort of an adult, but not really.”
There was another factor behind Burns' decision to leave: he waslosing his hair.
“And it was happening … fast,” he added.
And apparently, Burns was no fan of those pants.
“It’s just not going to happen.”
According to Santomero, Burns likened the experience to “acting at the bottom of a swimming pool.”
And it was in December of that year that rumors began to circulate claiming Steve Burns had died.
According to the rumor-bustingSnopeswebsite, variations on his rumored demise ranged from a car accident to a heroin overdose.
“If you repeat something long enough on the internet it kind of just doesn’t go away.”
I would never drive a Charger!
That’s a cop car."
This was no random glitch, but a purposeful decision, addressing how preschool children learn through repetition.
Burns once toldNew York Magazinethat he would often sleep outside, on that deck, on hot summer nights.
In November 2020, Burns put the place on the market, and it wasn’t cheap.
The asking price was a hefty $3,350,000.
After an extensive casting search, Broadway actorJosh Dela Cruzwas chosen to be the star of the 21st-century reboot.
In a Nickelodeon press release, Burns lent his seal of approval.
He can definitely fill my shoes, and the rugby shirt," he declared.
As Dela Cruz revealed during aBUILD Seriesinterview, Burns was on hand for his first day of filming.
Burns, said Dela Cruz, took him aside and offered a few words of encouragement.
Burns also told him to avoid trying to imitate what he’d done in the original.
“Just do you and be proud of that,” Burns told Dela Cruz.
His acting was singled out, and wound up taking his burgeoning career to the next level.
“Those reviews helped me get an agent,” he explained.
“It’s one of the best roles in modern theater,” Burns gushed.
“It’s an athletic role, and I mean that in an emotional sense.”
Not surprisingly, the Flaming Lips hold a deep significance to Burns.
That’s not Burns' only connection to “Young Sheldon.”
Addressing his now-grown viewers, he pointed out they too had followed a similar path to Steve’s.
“I mean, we started out with clues, and now it’s what?
Student loans and jobs and families,” he said.
And I’m super glad we’re still friends."
